


Winchester Wisdom and Angelic Advice

by Spiderlillies



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Dean and Gabriel being awkward uncles, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Jack is perfect, Mary being the only real adult, No Romance, Sam and Cas being Moms, T-Rating for Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-05-01 12:19:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14520411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spiderlillies/pseuds/Spiderlillies
Summary: Jack and Mary are finally back on the other side of the rift, that however, doesn't mean Jack has everything figured out.The Winchester and his Uncles are there to help him sort this whole existence thing out. One shots- very loosely tied together.Family fic.





	1. Burdens

“Jack if you want we can talk--” Sam started as he entered the bunker’s kitchen with an armful of groceries. The young nephilim dragged behind him: his eyes hidden under his bangs, shoulders slumped. The groceries he carried reappeared on the kitchen counter and with a flap of his wings he was gone. “Annd he's not behind me anymore is he?” Sam realized as the odd looks Cas and Dean wore said it all.

 

“Is something the matter? What happened?” Castiel’s tone made Dean roll his eyes. 

 

“He's just being overdramatic, Sam use to storm out of rooms when we were kids all the time.”

 

“I- He's not--” Sam sighed. “He's just becoming a little bit more self-aware.” At the puzzle glances from both of his hunting partners he clarified. “ Some kids called him a freak because he was able read their minds. He's trying to control it but sometimes he just blurts out a response to the person’s thoughts.”

 

“I will speak to him- explain he is not a ‘freak'.” Castiel announced putting air quotes around the word freak. “He was fearfully and wonderfully made.”

 

“Cas, I got it. I should've keep a better eye on him made sure those punks kept their distance.”

 

“I do not think he wants to speak with you given his exit.”

 

“I know how get him to calm down.” Sam interjected.

 

“As do I.” Castiel retorted feeling a bit slighted.

 

“Alright, alright.” Dean demanded. “ you're both Mother of the Year-- you think squabbling about who he loves more is gonna help.”

 

“Dean we aren't arguing, we're discussing how to guide our ward into a healthier self esteem.”

 

“Alright Dr. Phil take it down a notch.” Dean warned. Sam suppressed a smirk. 

 

“Both of you always walk on eggshells around the kid, guess what he's never gonna nut up if you-” pointing to the rebel angel. “Keep talking to him like your a Mom on _Toddlers_ _and_ _Tiaras_  


and you- “keep trying to act out an episode on _Full House.”_

 

“It's Fuller House… by the way.” Castiel corrected after a beat. Sam’s snickering broke the awkward silence. 

 

“Being… being a freak I know that better than anyone. I just want to guide him, like you did me.”

 

“Jack is not a freak, he should not have to empathize with that experience.” Chuck’s favorite retorted.

 

“He's the son of the devil, Cas, that’s like primo freak levels.” The angelic soldier glares at the hunter. “Hey chill, it runs in my family too.” Sam rolls his eyes.”

 

“He is not a freak, he is divine, Heir of the Morningstar, Grandson of the Light.”

 

“yeah… that's not a normal thing.” Sam explained tactfully. “ Castiel, I know you have big hopes for Jack but a nephilim by angel standards even if created by an archangel is seen as an abomination...

 

“AKA freak.” Dean added.

 

“Kelly's child is not a freak, Jack is, before all his holy titles, Kelly Kline’s beloved son… and my ward.” Cas corrected. The angel’s reverent tone when mentioning his late friend and her child is not lost on either hunter. The guilt in his eyes isn’t either.

 

“Alright this is getting a little too Lifetime for me.” Dean cracked.

 

“Man you've really been watching a lot T.V.”

 

“ Yeah well, Gabriel hooked us up with actual unlimited channels so I've enjoyed the upgrade.” He admitted. “Here's what's gonna happen, I’m going to talk to him- have a man to manchild and get him good as new.”

 

“You? you're going to go console Jack about … his feelings?” Sam replied incredulously.

 

“Dean, I know you mean well but I seriously doubt you can relate to him.”

 

“Being a freak, that's gonna be a nope; being an angel, double nope.” He agreed. “Being forced to grow up too fast and dealing with my old man's personal baggage; check and check.”

 

“Well I suppose-

 

“ Wasn't asking permission!” Dean hollered from the top of the staircase.

  
  


000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

Before Dean can knock on the door, Jack’s voice pierces the door.

 

“ I am watching TV, may I please be left alone?”

“Nope.” The Hunter denied coming into the room “but I'm willing to pay the toll.” He informs tossing the nephilim his favorite candy bar.

 

“You may stay.” Jack accepted wearily though there was a small hint of a smile on his face.

 

“Like you could kick me out.” Dean dismissed. “Whatcha watching?”

 

“Cowboys.” Jack replied. Dean eyes widened as he recognized _The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly_ on the screen.

 

“Kid, these aren't just cowboys these are like the _Cowboys_! Blondie! Angel Eyes!”

 

“I forgot you really like cowboys.” Jack commented demolishing his candy bar.

 

“Now this is a movie!”

 

“Are you going to talk the whole time like you did with Robocop?”

 

“You needed context.” 

 

“It was a simple story.”

 

“It was simply art.” Dean corrected. Jack let out another half smile as silence fell between them. Dean rubbed his neck awkwardly. He talked a big game to his brother and Cas but truth was he had no idea how to deal with Jack. He just knew those two were going about it the wrong way.

 

“so uhh about the-

 

“I don't care about what they said about me…” Jack began. Dean took silent breath of relief- Oprah he was not. “Sam thinks it’s that but it’s… it’s worse.”

 

“Worse how?”

 

“I wanted to hurt them.” Jack admits hugging his knees. “They insulted me and my first instinct was to…” he buries his face in his knees. “With a snap of my fingers… I kept thinking- they could just go away..."

 

“Did you?”

 

“No but Sam was there and-

 

“So if he wasn't you would've toasted them?”

 

“ I would’ve wanted too so bad.”

 

“yeah and I really want a pie bakery in the bunker doesn't mean I'm gonna make it happen.” 

 

“Lucifer _disintegrates_ people for insulting him … is that who I'm going to become? A sadistic murderer.”

 

“Depends, is that who you want to be?” Dean rephrased. 

 

“I like hurting people when they hurt me.” He admitted shamefully. 

 

“Yeah, well hate to break it to you, kid but that anger, pettiness, vengefulness that's not the part of you that's devil, that's the part of you that's human.”

 

“Humans can't disintegrate other humans.”

 

“yeah but we can do some pretty heinous shit.” Dean reminded. “Those kids didn't disintegrate you but they made you feel like dog crap, that's it's own special kind of shitty.”

 

“It doesn't compare.”

 

“Pain is pain.” Dean corrected. “Doesn't matter what caused it. Like right now, Sammy and Cas they're uh they're hurting pretty bad cause those chuckleheads treated you like a chump.”

 

“they're in pain? I didn't--”

 

“Take it easy, **you** didn't do anything. Those idiots hurt you and since Cas and Sam love you… It hurt them too."

 

“I'm starting to feel like existence is just people hurting each other and I don't like it.”

 

“You can't let every little thing bring you down, whether you like it or not- yeah you've got a little of your old man's temper in you, but you **choose**  


not to let it control you: that's what makes you better than him.”

 

“ Everyone's better than him, he's the devil.”

 

“Yeah well I've met some people that are gunning for his title of Douchebag of All Time.” Dean cracked. “And sorry to say you don't even make the top 100.”

 

“I'm not sorry.” Jack smiled but it didn't meet his eyes. “I'm glad at least I'm not a freak and a douchebag.”

 

“Listen, you can't do this whole depressed tween thing every time you feel bad about something, I know you're young, like crazy young but I'm gonna have to ask you to grow up.”

 

“I'm in an adult body.”

 

“I mean mentally, Jack.” Dean sighed. “You have to be strong, sometimes you got to hide the hurt.”

 

“Hide?”

 

“You know all this sighing, pouting, runni- _flying_ away.” He clarified. “You gotta nip that in the bud, kid.”

 

“for Sam and Castiel… so they won't be hurt with me?”

 

“Yeah basically.” Dean replied. “You gotta man up, pain’s part of the human experience, right?” He asked quoting the nephilim.

 

“Is that what you do? Hold in all your sadness so they won’t hurt with you?” Jack asked with such innocence in his eyes that it snapped something inside the hunter something that told him the advice he was giving was less than healthy.

 

“Not **all** of it.” He cleared his throat as if the next few words physically strained him. “You uh you can’t hold it all in, it’ll break you.” He clarified. “You measure it, I guess… if you can deal with it, you deal but if it’s too much and it’s too heavy…” He placed a firm hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You come to your family, that’s what we’re here for- the burdens you can’t bare; we’ll bare together.”

 

“Thank you.” Jack replied softly. “For being my family.” he added finally wearing his usual kilowatt smile that rivaled the sun. Dean removed his hand from the child’s shoulder and cleared his throat once more.

 

“Yeah, no problem.” He awkwardly accepted. “So are we going watch this movie or what- telling me I talk too much during movies then talks his beak off- we missed like the best parts! Now we gotta rewind.”

 

“I was still watching while you spoke, my mind isn’t limited like that.”

 

“Yeah, well I can quote every line in this movie and I still wanna rewind it!” Dean declared. Jack’s eyes darted past him towards the door. He did so often while they had spoken but only now did it sort of unsettle the hunter.

 

“You good, kid? the screen’s in front of you.”

 

“It’s just I’m wondering if Sam or Castiel want to come in and watch the movie or if they want to continue standing by the door.”

 

“Oh for the love of- **get in here,** you helicopter moms!”

 

“We weren’t spying-

 

“Sam was spying, I could hear you speaking from miles away.” Cas clarified.

 

“That’s still spying, ya dumbass.” Dean reminded.

 

“We’ve got our toll for safe passage though.” Sam presented holding up a to-go bag from Mcdonalds while Castiel had three beers and an M&M Mcflurry.

 

“Hmm, you may stay.” Dean replied gently mocking Jack’s usual response. “Right?”

 

“Like you could kick them out.” Jack replied quoting the hunter, already devouring his Mcflurry. Sam smirked and Castiel let out soft sound that to the trained ear was recognized as his chuckle.

 

“So, what are we watching?” Sam asked sipping on his beer sitting on the small futon in Jack’s room.

 

“Cowboys.” Dean and Jack chorused. 

 

Sam and Castiel both roll their eyes but the smile they wore wasn’t lost on Jack. He treasured this. Family wasn’t just for sharing sorrows, they were for sharing joy too. 

 


	2. Patience is a Virtue - Part 1

Jack should have felt proud that they trusted him to be on his own. _Should_ being the keyword. The truth was he didn't. Instead he felt like he was being left behind. Mary offered him a place on her own mission but he felt it was a pity move and the thought of accepting it made him feel small.

 

“Alright, one more time.” Sam beckoned as he packed his laptop into his bag. Jack sighed as Sam’s drill began:

 

“Small problems?”

 

“Text you.”

 

“Real problem?”

 

“Call you, then Castiel.”

 

“No answer?”

 

“Call Dean, but not during his 4 hours.”

 

“He doesn't pick up?”

 

“Pray to Castiel.”

 

“Supernatural Problem?”

 

“Smite it?” Jack joked with a cute smile. Sam's glare let him know the joke had not landed. With a loud sigh the nephilim correctly replied. “Fly to you.”

 

“ Immediately, you got that?” Sam declared,  though his tone was less demanding and more pleading than he realized.

 

“Immediately.” Jack agreed at seeing his surrogate father look disarrayed.

 

“Gabriel is in town if anything prevents you from flying; pray to him. Don't be reckless.” Sam instructed.

 

“I won't be.” Jack promised. “You're the one that needs to be careful.” His frustrated tone stung the younger Winchester. Vampires were creatures that Jack abhorred above all others after the incident in apocalypse world. Castiel suggested it be best to have to nephilim sit this one out as he knew Jack would let his prejudice get the best of him. Not to mention that he’d refuse to be more than 2 feet from Sam at all times.

 

“It's a small group, not even a nest.” Sam reassured.

 

“I'd feel better if it were zombies. They're slow and dumb.”

 

“Yeah well, We haven't fought vamps in a while and I can't get rusty.”

 

“I’d prefer that to dead.”

 

“I’m coming back and _**you**_ need to keep the bunker secured.” Sam instructed. “I’m counting on you.”

 

“Sammy ” Dean hollered from the main entrance. “you found your laptop-” he paused at seeing them and let out an annoyed grunt. “ oh geez come on! this is like the third time you've said goodbye. Let’s go, Cas is annoying the crap out of me in the car!”

Jack suppressed a laugh. He enjoyed how much Castiel ruffled Dean's feathers.

 

“Have fun without me.” Jack sighed. Dean rolled his eyes.

 

“we're not benching you for long, kid, you 'll take a long case with Mom and Cas when we come back so you can keep up with your training.”

 

“We'll go to dinner too, your favorite place.” Sam added. Now this made the nephilim light up.

 

“the five of us?” he added sheepishly as if he knew the request was pushing it.

 

“It's a promise.” Sam replied placing a gentle hand on his head and ruffling his hair. The nephilim swatted him away with an annoyed chuckle and then embraced his surrogate father.

 

“Okay, that's about as much mushy stuff as I can stomach.” The older hunter heckled. “Don't have any girls over! You got to their place!” Dean directed as he exited the room.

 

“Ignore him.” Sam advised as he loosen the embrace to see his son’s smile. “Keep up with your readings.”

 

“I will.”

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

It barely been 48 hours and the young nephilim was bored and lonely beyond measure! He couldn't wait for night to fall again so Sam would facetime him a report of the day’s event. Then, after the Winchesters had fallen asleep he’d receive his prayer from Castiel and practice his Enochian with him.

 

Jack would close his eyes  and in a dreamscape he and his father would open a private channel through the “Angel Radio.” A useful tool of communication and much more manageable for Castiel the technophobe than Skype or facetime.

 

It was in the late hours that his father would tutor him, usually in person (this separation was rare) speaking to him in the angelic language and teaching him to read and write it. The seraphim also schooled him in Celestial history, geography, different fractions, and societal norms that came with being an Angel.

 

Jack didn’t understand why Castiel felt the need to teach him these things but he was so happy to receive his father’s attention that it didn’t matter in what form it came. Castiel would always end a lecture with: “Even the lowliest of Angels would know this much.” Jack would bite his tongue as he often wanted to say. “But I’m not an angel.” but the words never came. All that arrived was a “thank you”  from his lips and the warmth that his father’s proud gaze provided.

 

He didn’t care if Castiel wanted him to learn Pig Latin or how to basket weave, all that mattered was how safe and happy his father’s ministries made him feel; just like when the fallen angel had protected him and his mother.

 

He was learning a particularly hard phrase the other night. Jack wished the language would come to him as easily as terrestrial ones did, learning Greek, Latin, and Celtic came easily to him: Enochian did not.

 

_“Don’t slur your words. This is a heavenly tongue, enunciate, Jack.”The angelic soldier directed in his formal Enochian.  The nephilim repeated the phrase trying to follow his father's pronunciation. Castiel smiled and Jack couldn’t help but smile in turn knowing his father was pleased.  “Much better, you'll be as well versed as Sam in no time.”_

_Jack nodded and then tried to suppress a yawn but it did not go unnoticed by his father._

 

_“Rest, my child.” The Seraphim advised speaking in english; his unofficial way of finalizing the lesson. “Sleep does you well.” Castiel said looking at the clock on the hotel wall. “Even you have your limits.”_

 

_“I rested all day.” Jack retorted. “I can stay with you until Sam and Dean awaken.” he bit his lip as his traitorous mouth tried to release another yawn._

 

_“Are you practicing the flight drills your Uncle showed you? They are exhausting exercises, even angels rest when first learning them.” Castiel asked trying to coax his ward into giving in to his urge to sleep._

 

_“Some of them.” Jack replied sheepishly. He was being rather lazy while his father was away but he just didn’t feel any passion to be diligent with his studies if neither of his fathers were home. “ I prefer practicing when you're there with me. I don't know if I'm doing them right if your not there.” He admitted. “I could fly to you and we can practice now, I'll come right back.”_

 

_“Now is the time for sleep, young fledgling, flight is better learned in the day--”_

 

_“Where Grandfather’s light guides our wings best.” Jack interrupted quoting the angel, sighing. “I know, I know.”_

 

_“Sleep your hour, keep up with your studies, and remember your prayers for the Winchesters.” Castiel instructed._

 

_Perhaps it was how tired he was or maybe he was feeling bold because of the distance but Jack found himself asking a question he knew his father might not want to answer. ”Do you really think Grandfather is listening?”_

 

_There was a stunned pause, then a sigh. “The prayers aren't for Chuck, when angels pray for humans their sleep is blessed, regardless of his reply.”_

 

_“Who prays for Angels?”_

 

_“We are prayed to, not for.” Castiel clarified. Angel were instruments; no one looked after them, they weren’t made with the purpose of being protected or loved, but he didn’t have the heart to relay that to his son. “Even the lowliest of Angels know this much.” He concluded._

 

_“Well… how about I pray for you and you pray for me.” Jack offered. His ward’s naivety and kindness warmed the seraphim’s heart. “Oh, and we’ll both pray for Uncle Gabriel.” he added._

 

_“That sounds like a good plan.” He agreed. “I feel blessed already, Good night, Jack.”_

 

_“Don’t forget Uncle Gabe too.” Jack reminded._

 

_“I won’t.”_

 

_“Good night, Father.”_

 

_“Rest well.”_

 

The memory dissolved as Jack landed on top of a canopy of trees. His wings perched him in the middle of the forest. He had awakened to follow his father's instructions and practice his flight drills and though he did not feel the exhaustion a human would, he certainly tired of the repetition.

 

As he made his way back into the bunker, he noticed another being in flight. It was his uncle and his splendorous wings. Jack never wanted to admit it but he found his speckled wings to be very plain, even though Castiel told him they would have been the envy of heaven as they emitted a radiance that rivaled the Aurora Borealis. He; however,  found Gabriel’s wings to be much more beautiful, they were golden like starlight and much larger than his own.

 

“Oh boy, you better be glad Castiel wasn't here to see those half assed moves.” Gabriel teased “I can hear him now - Glide! Spread your wings! Tuck them forward! Every-Movement-Should-Be-

 

“Fluid.” Jack finished. His face turned quite pink. “I was just flying to fly.” He admitted.

 

“Enjoying some downtime while Sargent Dad is away?” Gabriel teased landing on a large oak tree. Jack mimicked his movements and landed beside him.

 

“Not really, I want them to be home already.” Jack confessed. “It is very boring without them.”

 

“Now that’s no good, my nephew can’t be bored when I’m in town!” Gabriel announced. “Listen kiddo, all your chaperones are gone, We can do whatever you want, we can get as crazy as you want, Dad knows I’m not gonna be your voice of reason!”

 

“I…

 

“Come on there’s gotta be something the golden girls don’t let you do that you’ve always want to~! Gabriel pushed in a sing-songy voice.

 

“But if they don’t want me to do it, its because it’s bad.”

 

“Well, Jack sometimes being a little bad is okay, I mean we’re not gonna hurt anybody right?”

 

“No I don’t want to do anything like that-

 

“Ah but there is something you want to do that your dearest daddies don’t approve of!” Gabriel interrupted. “Come on, tell Uncle Gabe, I won’t judge!”

 

“Well… There is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time… and no one is home…”

 

**to be continued...**

 


	3. Patience is a Virtue - Part 2 END

This was only the third day of the case and Sam was feeling exhausted. 2 out of the 3 spotted vampires had been handled but this third one was giving them a hard run for their money. The creature was a real rat, he’d set fire to the children’s wing of the hospital they were investigating to make his exit as Sam and his partners were hot on his trail. They’d manage to contain the fire, save the children, and learn a good lesson: their enemy knew they were sympathetic and they were willing to use that to their advantage.

 

The younger Winchester looked at his phone, in a couple of hours his surrogate son would expect a call from him. Usually, he’s just check up on him and relay the details of the most important events of the mission but … He let out a deep sigh. It wasn’t that they’d let the vampire get away that moved Sam to want to avoid the topic with his son. It was the cruelty of the creature, the horror that every child in the pediatric ward could have burned and it wouldn’t have made a difference to that monster. Vampires weren’t unthinking or unfeeling and perhaps that’s why they struck a nerve with him- they knew better.

 

His heart ached as he realized perhaps this is was why his own father kept their phone calls short and brief when he was too young to hunt with him. It was hard for him to put up the facade of happiness and levity that Jack deserved to hear from him during their nightly chats. He imagined it must have been tough on John to try to make light conversation with his 8 year old after he’d witness a coven of witches sacrifice newborns or some other abominable act that hunters were all too familiar with.

 

“We cannot shelter him forever.” Castiel finally spoke up breaking the hunter from his deep thought. Sam didn’t even hear him enter the hotel room. “Forgive me, you were- your thoughts they were so loud-

“It’s alright.” Sam reassured, then as the weight of Castiel’s words dawned on him, he let out another sigh. “And I know but-

 

“I would also give anything to do so.” The seraphim admitted. “I’m afraid one day his smile will be different, that he’ll be less human and more…

 

“Angel?”

 

“That he’ll see things black and white, that he’ll concentrate on how small this all is compared to him and simply close himself off so the pain of this world does not touch him.”

 

“Do you ever want to do that?”

 

“I did it for millennia, though I loved you all as my father’s creation, I kept my distance so the fires of your wars and hatred would not burn me.”

 

“I mean now, after being with us and fighting beside us do you still want to run?”

 

“No…” The fallen angel paused as if trying to measure his words.“all the pain is so easily forgotten in the warmth of humanity’s love and light.”

 

“Kelly and Jack choose you to be his father because of that, Cas.” Sam reminded. “Because you can teach him that despite how horrible this being human thing is- it’s worth it… it really is.”

 

“Do not make light of your own influence on the boy.” Castiel declared. “He follows your word like holy writ.”

 

“I don’t have any idea what I’m doing, Cas.” Sam admitted. “I’m making it up as I go.”

 

“And what? You think I was trained to raise nephilim? Jack is exceptional of that in heaven and on earth, Sam. There’s no code, no rules, no parenting book, not even a blog!”

 

“We should start one, in case Gabriel gets too loose-goosey one day.” Sam joked trying to break the tension. Castiel rolled his eyes.

 

“I feel given our luck, we would end up raising that one too, absentee parenting seems to run in the family.”

 

“Ah come on, Gabe’s been a pretty good uncle to Jack.”

 

“He took him to a strip club.”

 

“He takes everyone to the strip club.” Sam  reminded. “Gabriel’s trying and that’s a lot more than I can say for Jack’s real dad.”

 

“We are Jack’s real dads.” Castiel huffed. “I will not share that title with that serpent.”

 

“Okay, Jack’s grace donor, then.”

 

“Still sounds nice, I say Jack’s unfortunate relative.”

 

“It’s a bit long for a title.”

 

“Or we can just call him what he really is to Jack.” Castiel offered.

 

“And that would be?”

 

“No one.”

 

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

Gabriel had certainly known low points in his life but this, this was right up there with getting his girl stolen by Baldur.

He was a hot, young looking, bachelor with the drinking prowess of a Norse God and an insatiable appetite that was not limited to food and instead of painting the town red and driving the girls wild.

 

He was in a pink apron…

holding a tray of brownies…

watching his nephew, heir of the insidious morningstar…

bake pastries, lots and lots of pastries.

 

“Okay, it says I have wait 20 minutes and then I can add the raspberry filling to the macarons!” Jack informed him in a delighted fashion.

 

“Wow... my heart is racing.” Gabriel replied in a sarcastic tone that was lost on his innocent nephew.

 

“Me too!” Jack replied genuinely. “I never thought they’d come out this good on the first try! And you remember your promise, Uncle Gabe? If they ask you were the one that used the stove and oven not me, right?” Jack reminded. The young nephilim had been banned from the kitchen when he almost caught the entire bunker on fire trying to make baked alaska.

 

“Yes, Jack, it was all me.” Gabriel sighed but couldn’t help but smile that sight of Jack’s excitement as lame as hell as this all was he couldn’t put a price on his nephew’s joy.  His phone rang and he scrambled to put the brownie tray down somewhere that wasn’t already clustered with sweet treats.

 

“Yellow?” Gabriel answered. Jack chuckled. He liked how his uncle used English in a funny way. “Hannah,my Liebechen, tell me are the cold Austrian nights without me finally getting to you?”

 

Jack looked down at his own phone and took note of the time, he mixed the fruit filling with a little more vigor as he was excited to let Sam know how great his day had gone, of course he’d try to strategically omit some details but soon enough his father would call him, and even if he got caught and Sam scolded him a little, he’d still be happy to see him via webcam.

 

Gabriel continued chattering on the phone, he switched from English to German speaking all sorts of sweet nothings and naughty things that came to mind to Hannah and her lovely roommate listening on speaker phone. Jack seemed enthralled in his hobby so the Archangel didn’t bother to censor himself.

 

Jack heard his ringtone and panicked placing the items on the counter as he rushed to the den so the camera wouldn’t show what he was up to. He looked more closely to realize it was just a phone and not a video call, though he found it odd, he still answered.

 

“Sam?” He answered hesitantly as he heard the sounds of a vehicle moving through the road. Were they already on their way back? He wondered.“You’re early but that’s okay you’ll never guess what me and Uncle Gabriel have been making, well I only helped a little-

 

“Yeah listen,Jack, I hate to interrupt you but I’m gonna have to go radio dark in a bit, we’re gonna have a busy night, bud. We’ve finally cornered this bastard and we’re ending this tonight- I just wanted to check in and let you know why I won’t be answering the phone. I’m glad Gabe is there _and- Yeah, I know I’ll tell him_.” Sam’s voice sounded far as if he’d turned his voice away from the phone to another direction. “Cas, says to keep up with your Enochian, he says to study the ancient scroll you guys left off on.”

 

“Okay… y-yeah be safe.” Jack replied his voice cracking though he didn’t know why. Sam shut his eyes as if he’d been slapped. He recognize that tone, the tone of a child being utterly disappointed.

 

“This is the last night, Jack, no more vampires after this for a long time, okay?” Sam promised but in the pit of his stomach he knew it was promise he shouldn’t make. “Family dinner, when we come back, right?”

 

“Y-yes, family dinner- and Uncle Gabe, too right, since he’s here?”

 

“You got it.”

 

Jack heard the click on the other line and stared at the phone for the longest time. Why did it have to be vampires? The one thing that took Sam from him. Why couldn’t it have been anything else? His lips quivered and he tried his hardest to not let the fear building up consume him. _“Please Grandfather, please I’m begging you don’t let anything happen to them! Please!”_ Jack prayed silently.

 

“Yoo-hoo Jackie-boy looks like I’ve got to skedaddle! Hannah is one impatie-.” Gabriel was cut off at the sight of his nephew practically in tears. “Hey, what’s going on-

 

“Nothing!” Jack lied terribly, wiping his eyes, forcing a smile that seemed like a vulgar imitation of the genuine thing. “I just realized, I haven’t studied at all today, I don’t want fall behind on my Cryptozoology or my Druidic history. You should have lots of fun with you friend Hannah-

 

“You done piling bullshit on my plate and calling it dinner?” Gabriel interrupted. “Kid, I’m the king of lies, I’m no sucker, and no offense but a blind dog could see you’re lying.”

 

“It’s not a lie, I really haven’t studied today.” Jack replied softly. Gabriel sighed.

 

“Come on, let’s get some air.”

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The two celestial being shone along the dwindling sunlight. Gabriel’s enormous wings wrapped around them as Jack told him all that grieved his heart.

 

There was something tragically beautiful about sunsets to the nephilim. Yes, the sun would rise again the following day but there was something unsettling about the darkness. It made Jack uneasy. There was always that fear: well, what if the sun doesn’t come back and this cold darkness is all we’ll have? The moon was his only comfort in the night, it’s radiance was dimmer than the sun’s warm glow but it made him feel safe, as if even if perpetual darkness fell, the moon would still be there to light his way.

The thing he loved most about sunsets was that for a brief moment the sun and moon shone together in floods of red, blue, and violet streaks that painted the sky. The sun and the moon; Sam and Castiel. He felt like he was in utter darkness without them.

 

He felt the warmth of his uncle’s light as he tore his eyes away from the sky. He was glad Gabriel was there listening to his ramblings.

 

“It’s so silly, isn’t?” Jack complained. “I don’t know why I’m reacting this way. Sam’s a great hunter, Dean would die before letting something happen, Castiel too. Why am I so scared?”

 

“Because you know what it’s like to lose him and it was the worst thing in the world.” Gabriel explained. “Because he was the first person to love you as you are and you don’t think that there’s anyone in the world that will love you like that again.”

 

“I wish they would’ve let me go with them.”

 

“I think you and I both know that vampires are your achilles’ heel and you don’t think straight when they’re involved.”

 

“I know… I just want to protect them.”

 

“ You sound just like Cas.” Gabriel teased but then his eyes had a sad glint to them the nephilim didn’t understand. “Can I tell you a secret.”

 

“I'm bad at keeping those, at least Dean says so.” The nephilim admitted.

 

“I'm going to tell you anyways.” Gabriel smiled. “I'm watching them, I'm always watching over them, and you.”

 

“Cas says that's a bad habit.” Jack announced. Gabriel scoffed with a laugh.

 

“Those are the best kind, Jackie.” The angel winked. Jack smiled at his uncle’s mischievous character. “If anything happened to those two…” Gabriel paused. “If anything happened to Sam…”

 

“Do you feel it too?” Jack asked as if he’d finally found someone who understood. “… it's like he has a light in him, it's so little, I can barely sense it but… it's so beautiful and warm. I always want to be near it… him.”

 

“Does it remind you of anything? Anyone?”

 

“No, umm my light is similar but-

 

“Yeah I guess it wouldn't.” Gabriel sighed and after a beat he added. “I hate heavy stuff like this you know- family stuff.”

 

“But that's what family is for, the stuff that's too heavy.”

 

“That's what they're supposed to be for Jackie-boy.” He lamented. “ that's what they're supposed to be for.” Jack placed a comforting hand on his Uncle's shoulder. “Jack…  that little light in Sam. That's the light that used to shine in your father, he wasn't called Morningstar for nothing, if you can even imagine it; it was a thousand times what Sam carries. His wings…” Gabriel stopped as his voice cracked and a bitter smile flourished on him. “They- Jack they were so bright and huge! I used to hide in them, I used to think- _I used to wish_ I could stay under my brother’s smile and wings and love forever.”

 

“and then, He fell.”

 

“yeah, yeah that's the abridged version.”

 

“Nothing is forever, Jack.” Gabriel advised. “Sam and the light in him … one day both will fade away.”

 

“To heaven?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“That's okay, my mom's there. I'll go with them.”

 

“We- Angels don't get to… we don't rest with them.”

 

“Can we see them?”

 

“They won't remember us or this or anything painful.”

 

“That's not bad. That means they'll be happy.”

 

“Happiness is not the opposite of pain.”

 

“But all the scrolls and scriptures, it says-

 

“Paradise on earth? After the end, and regardless of Michael and your dad, there is an end- Yeah well… the guy that was supposed to do all that skipped out like the screw up he is.”

 

“Grandfather?”

 

“Just this once, it doesn’t all fall on the old man…” The archangel sighed. “It was- it was supposed to be me.”

 

“I don’t understand.”

 

“After the ‘big finish,’ all the souls are suppose awaken from their ‘dream heavens’ and take part in one of celestial design which is to bring them all boundless happiness, and-

 

“Endless joy.” Jack finished the quote.

 

“My powers, the fact I can make something out nothing, I was suppose to- after watching the two people I loved the most tear each other apart- I was supposed to bring happiness to all the humans' souls.” Gabriel laughed bitterly with tears falling from his eyes. “Me? The guy who couldn’t even keep his own brothers from killing each other? I’m suppose to bring all of humanity peace in the end? Now that’s a joke!”

 

Gabriel open his tearful eyes to see his nephew wipe his tears.

 

“I…” Jack seemed to mull over his words as if they were precise instruments, then something in his eyes sparkled. “Did you sleep last night, Uncle?”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Sleep? Did you?”

 

“Well, yes - I mean I don’t need to but-

 

“Was it nice? Was it peaceful?”

 

“Jack what does this-” He sighed as the insistent look in the nephilim’s eyes burned at him to answer the question. “Yeah, I guess-

 

“It worked! Our prayers worked!” Jack rejoiced flying up in excitement.

 

“Jack what are you?-

 

“Castiel told me that no one prays for Angels, so I told him we should prayer for each other, and it worked! He prayed for my sleep and I slept well and I prayed for you and so did you!”

 

“What does that-

 

“We can make each other happy.” Jack explained extending his hand to his uncle inviting him to join him in flight. “You don’t have to do it all by yourself.”

 

“Jack…” Gabriel paused to looked up the offered hand and brilliance that shone around his nephew’s wings. Memories of the past flooded him. How his older brothers’ would offer the same kind of outstretched hand. “I don’t think I could make even one soul happy.”

 

“Do I count?”

 

“More than all the stars in the sky.” The archangel reassured. “ Jack it's not you, it’s-

 

“You make me happy.” Jack declared taking his uncle’s hand pulling him up into flight. Their ethereal wings radiated in the starlight. “I was so afraid all the angel’s except Castiel would hate me… but then you loved me, after everything, you still loved me.” He confessed in tears of joy.

 

“Of course I do.” Gabriel comforted embracing the young nephilim. “Jack, of course I do.”

 

“One soul.” Jack replied. “You made one soul very happy.”

 

“Jack I wish it was that easy-

 

“But it is.” Jack interrupted. “Happiness is like- it’s like our prayers- it’s like a chain. “ he explained. “If I’m happy then Castiel and Sam are happy, and if they’re happy, Dean is happy, and if Dean’s happy so is Mary, and so will John be up in Heaven, and so will everyone who loved him, and-

 

“Okay, Okay.” Gabriel laughed. “I get the picture.”

 

“We can make each other happy… it doesn’t all have to be on you, I’ll be there Uncle Gabriel… we can do it together, Castiel too. ”

 

Gabriel stayed silent but he smiled and wept as he held his nephew for a very long time.

 

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

“Bahh Zaa Nahh Hoen-

 

“No,no!” Gabriel corrected through laughter. “You’re about call someone’s mom a cow!”

 

“Really?” Jack replied horrified. The last thing he wanted to do was insult someone in the middle of a conversation.

 

“Nah!” Gabriel winked and his nephew threw a cookie at him. “ but you’ve got to hold the ‘O’ sound if not you sound ridiculous-

 

“Did you hear that?” Jack asked excitedly as the compartments that locked the bunker were unraveling. He shot up off the couch. “I can’t believe it, they’re home!” Gabriel looked up at the clock in the bunker: 3 am. There’s no way they drove that quick.

 

Jack emerged from the den holding up an exhausted Sam Winchester. The hunter had taken a red eye flight from their mission straight to Kansas. Jack was beaming with a smile from ear to ear.

 

“Hey-hey Samquatch!” Gabriel greeted. “You look terrible, you might want to leave flying to the experts.”

 

Sam rolled his eyes as sat on his couch and listened to Jack ramble incoherently about all his baking escapades. He smiled as the boy blushed and admitted he shouldn’t have broken the rules. The hunter struggled to stay awake but his eyes started closing on their own.

 

“Jack, remember he’s human.” Gabriel whispered. “He needs sleep and- oh a shower!” he commented pinching his nose.

 

“Screw you.” Sam smirked tossing a pillow at the archangel. “I’m fine, Jack I want hear all about your enochian lessons from Uncle Gabe.” he yawned.

 

“Sleep does us well.” Jack quoted his other father. “We can talk in the morning, Dean and Castiel will be home by then.”

 

Gabriel smiled and snapped his fingers turning the couch into a sofa bed. Sam looked down to see he was in moose print pajamas tucked in bed while Jack’s pajamas were plaid.

 

“I’m taking my old room.” The archangel informed. “You two stay where you are.” Sam was already deep in the thralls of the sandman’s spell, Jack laid beside him nestled into his body like a baby chick seeking warmth.

 

“Uncle Gabriel!” Jack called out wearily as sleep was starting to take him too. “Don’t forget to pray for me!” Gabe let out a soft smile.

 

“You too. I’m counting on you, Jackie.” He announced as he head for his room.

“Grandfather… please protect the Winchesters, let their sleep be blessed. Watch over Uncle Gabriel and Castiel… I know they’re angels but please protect them too.” Sleep started to make Jack’s prayer very hazy. “ This human beside me… I always want to be with them… even in the end- I can wait… even sometimes they have to be far from them… I can wait… as long as we’re all happy in paradise… Mom too and… and I hope you’re happy too ... wherever you are.”

 

_Brother… you’re weeping what’s wrong… are you unhappy?_

_No, no quite the opposite, My Amara, quite the opposite._

 

_2 of 2 end of oneshot_


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